When Larry Davis started Davis Properties of NWFL, Inc. 20 years ago this year, he had no desire to become a large company. His vision was to have a real estate firm known for relationships built on honesty, integrity, and being the most knowledgeable — a company renowned for working with a variety of interesting, intriguing projects and developments.

Fast forward 20 years and the release of Emerald Coast Association of Realtors’ 2012 Sales Summary Report. It seems that Davis’ focus on staying small and working hard is paying off in a big way. According to the 2012 report, Davis Properties, as a company, ranked 18th in over-all sales volume placing them in the top 5 percent of companies association wide.

“We knew we were having a good year but we’re the ’little guy on the block,’ ” said Davis. “I’ve got four full-time, top-notch agents and two support personnel. When you look at ECAR membership of 370 companies and 2,300-plus members covering all of Walton, Okaloosa and parts of Santa Rosa County, being in the top 5 percent is pretty significant. At the end of the day, I’m very happy with the standings but not surprised because of the quality of our team.”

What they lack in size, Davis Property agents make up for with a highly collaborative team environment, hard work, attention to detail and providing stellar customer service.

According to Davis, “real estate or any sales field for that matter can be brutally competitive, even within companies that can be very tough. I believe if you create a work environment aimed at putting customer needs first, working together as a team and creatively using win-win solutions, then everyone succeeds.“

Tom Hidell with work partner Michelle Joly were the top sales agents for Davis last year and also ranked in the top 1 percent of ECAR sales as a team.

When asked about the company’s rankings Hidell said, “I learned a long time ago that no one accomplishes anything by themselves. Secondly, those successful organizations are ones where people are able to work together effectively. That is really what these results demonstrate.”

Davis Properties, along with many other companies on the Emerald Coast, had a very good sales year in 2012. Overall sales numbers in the annual report reflected a definite uptick in the market compared to the previous several years. In 2012, 8,460-plus properties sold within the association making it the highest number of properties to change hands in a single year since 2005. Additionally, ECAR’s 2012 sales volume exceeded $2.24 billion marking the highest sales volume year since 2006.

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